Animated figure



Sept. 9,l 1947. L. E. HARDING ANIMATED FIGURE 4Filed sept. 22,1944

INVENT OR LLOYD E. HARD/NG BY a 0" m Patented Sept. 9, 1947 l PATENT orales.

iildyd assigner di foire-fifth 5to Edmund 1.2Lnda, "Wbodhaven, N. Y., and one-filfth to William A. Zalesak,

Appi'ieafiam'septemher 22, rafle, sfeialnorstfsarfs (o1. r6-...ra

ilailms. "1 =ivry invention `relates to an animated Amy 'and sllecically to `a doll.

im fobject volf my invention -`is rto provide an animated figure havin-g -a movable 4element 4"or eieinents which maybe caused to move Vby `th approach 'of another element.

More specifically "it is an Jobject Yof my "inven- 'tion "to 'provide van animated v`iigure having `an eye "member yor members which can be made to move upon the approach of another object.

`Morefspediically it is anobject of `my inven- Ltion to provide van animated `figure having a movable `eye 'memberfwhich `can be made `to follow 'the movement rof ian 'object upon 'its 'approach for to Abe repelled by the approach `df the object.

A 'furtherobject of 'my Ainventionis to provide 'ananimatedfigure having a movable 'head mem- :ber vvhich can be made to follow athe movement of an object upon its approach or ibe repelled by the approach 'of the object.

Broadly the 'gure which rnay be 'that of a d'oll Yis provided with movable eye members mounted 'in a movable head'meniber. Associated 'with Athe doll is a, 'free element 'which may, :for example, vbe aiplaque and have a mirror on one side and'other material such as-questions or Written matter fon the other. :When the side having 'the `mirror is placed before the eyes "of the doll andmovedabout the eyeswill ollow'the mirror. However, 'if the plaque is reversed the 'eyes 'will be repelled By proper design 'the reverse 'may -take place. Stops are providedfo'r'theeye member so that the `head is caused to move if the Tree element is moved beyond 'certain limits.

I 'The movementl of the eyes upon approach 'of theplaqueis accomplished by mounting upon `the eye member or `eye piece a magnet 'having unlike poles. `Mou`ntedwithin theplaque is 'also a magnet having unlike poles. When like l'poles 'of the eyemember and plaque are matched upon apprdach'of thesplaque to the eye member, the movablev eye member is repelledsothat the Veyes look 'away Vfrom the surface 'being presented. `When the plaque is reversed end for end "by rotating `the mirror the veye member Willbe attractedsince unlike poles are matched and will `follow the movements of the `plaque. The-design maybe such 'that the eyes Willfol1ow one side `and be "repelled 'when the othe'rside is presented. If desired the `magnet in the 'head on `the 'eye 'piece can 'be xedto Athe head "so that the 'entire head follows the plaque in lits movements Without movement 'of the eyes.

The `novel `features which `I "believe to be characteristic ormy invention 'are set forth With'iparftic'iilarity in "the f'app"ended fcl'aims, but the :in- Wention itself will best'beiun'derstood bylreference to the following description taken Tin connection with the accompanying drawing in which `Eiig-ure i1 is 4a `perspective 'o'f lthe h'ea'd of 'an animated fig-ure lemi:odying -m-y invention, Figure 2 is :a longitudinal section through liigure lll .showing details of construction, Figure 3 is a transverse section Jor" Figure .2` with the associated free -fe'lenient illustrating lthe principles `for' `my invention, 'and kFigli-reel fshws the details Aof one'of the .tree telements Yo'f Fi'gure 3 and iin :perspective VIn ithe preferred embodiment `'of .my `invention 'which -i`s i1lu`strated but 'which is not necessarily limited 3to a doll, there lis disclosed a dollis Jhead `-I having `apertures 12 :and f3 for 'the eyes with a movable eye `-piece *member 4 positioned there- *behind Witheyes simulated thereon. This member is supported by means of a fiexibleelement .6 secured within the head member-and lhaving vex tending transversely ther-eer a `magnet 5 having Joppositelydisposed ipoles. This eye member 'may `move up rand down and from side to side, the movements being limited by 4the `'stop -elem'ents -I-'4--lf5 'and lll-ill fas shown in Figures 2 and 23. Normally =the `eyes are maintained :in more or less central position -as vindicated in Figure i1.

Vln `order to :cause movement fof 'the eyes, a. Tree-object Vin the -ormof `a plaque as shown :in the lovver part =o"f Figure f3 vand fin Figure 4 is provided. It fmay `have various shapes but iis 4fshov/nasdfrrectangular shape. 1t has oppositely "disposed surfaces f8 :and "9 between which is sercured La magnet l 1khaving oppositely disposed ples. l@ne surface or 'side lof this plaquemay acomprise `fa mirror 'such ias shown as f8 and the "ether "'si'de may have reading material thereon Ain the form of questions, for example, `or mathe- Amatical'problems 'or 'the like. These are only two examples 'o`f themany other surfaces that fcould be iutilized.

AIftheplaime is presented to the movable l'eye piece, such that ythe 'poles are matched upon ap- Lpreach -of the plaque, "the jeye piece 'will `move :up or-down or to the side depending upon the mbvemen't offthe plaque sothat Vthe eyes willfb'e *diverted 'away from the surfacespresented. On fthe other hand, 'if the plaque is rotated on a vertical taxis `through unlike poles vwill be matched *and the eyes "Will I'foll'ow the plaque as it isirotated andmoved from sidefto side 'or up Aand down.

v"In `addition to *the #support i:for 'the eye Amember avhichpermits m'ovement di fthe eye member, the Lheadrnay ibe -'mounted -on thebody 2te-also permit movement of the head as a whole. As best shown in Figures 2 and 3 a exible element I'I in the form, for example, of a thin steel strip I'I movably supports the head on the body member I6, the end of the element II being xed in the projection I8 within the body member. The element I'I may be of stiffer material than that of element I6 so that the eye member will be moved first to any of its limits. If the free element is then moved beyond the limits of movement of the eye member, the head as a whole will be moved on its support. The magnet could be fixed in the head B so that the eyes would not move and the head would turn as a whole upon approach of the plaque.

In one example the eyes may be made to follow the mirror indicating self-satisfaction and when the opposite side is presented with questions or reading matter the eyes will be diverted, indicating no desire to use the mind. The arrangement could be reversed so that the animated gure could lbe represented as the studioustype or as the vain type. l 1

While the device is shown as utilized with a doll it is obvious that it could be used in other ways, for example, in the form of animals and the plaque could be made up to represent other objects. f e

While I have indicated the preferred embodiments of my invention of which I am now aware and have also indicated onlyone specio application forv which my invention may be employed, it will be apparent that my invention is by no means limited to the exact forms illustrated or the use indicated, but that many Vvariations may be made in the particular structure used and the purpose for which it is employed without departing from the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims. Y

What I claim as new is:

1. Ananimated figure havinga body, a rst movable element mounted on said body, asecond movable element supported by said first movable element and carrying a magnet with unlike poles, and a free element for causing movement oi said movable elements upon approach of the free element, said free element containing a magnet having unlike poles whereby when like poles of the second movable element and said free element are brought opposite one another the movable elements will be repelled and when unlike poles are brought opposite one another the elements will be attracted when the elements approach each other, the second movable member being more` freely movable than the rst movable member whereby movement of the second movable member will occur beforev movement of the rst movable member. y 2.7An animated ligure having a hollow head portion provided with apertures representing eyes, a movable member having eye elements portrayed thereon mounted within said head portion vwith the eye elements supported in registry with said apertures, a flexible support upon which said movable member is mounted, said flexible support extending tranversely of said hollow head portion and being fixed to the opposite side of said head portion from said apertures, said movable member having a 'magnet supported thereon and having unlike poles, a free member and a magnet carried by said free member and having unlike poles whereby when like poles of the members are brought opposite one another said movable member will be repelled and when ,unlike poles are brought opposite one another the movable member will be attracted when the members approach each other, said flexible support permitting movement of said eye member in any direction about the point of attachment of said iiexible support to said hollow head portion.

3. An animated figure having a hollow head portion provided with apertures representing eyes, a movable member having eye elements portrayed thereon mounted within said head portion with the eye elements supported in registry with said apertures, a flexible support upon which said movable member is mounted, said flexible support extending transversely of said hollow head portion and being fixed to the opposite side of said head portion from said apertures, said movable member having a magnet supported thereon and having unlike poles, a free member and a magnei; carried by said free member and having unlike poles whereby when like poles of the members are brought opposite one another said movable member will be repelled and when unlike poles are brought opposite one another the movable member will be attracted when the members approach each other, said ilexible support permitting movement of said eye member in any direction about the point of attachment of said flexible support to said hollow head portion, a body portion, and a second flexible support extending within said hollow head member and secured to said body portion for permitting rotation of said hollow head member in any direction. 4. An animated figure having a hollow head member, a body member, a flexible support for said head member fastened to said body member and extending within said head member, said ilexible support permitting movement of said head member in any direction, said head member having a portion provided with apertures representing eyes, a movable eye member having eye elements portrayed thereon within the hollow head member with the eye members in'registry with the apertures, said movable eye member having a magnet supported thereon and extending lengthwise thereof and having unlike poles, a flexible support for said movable eye member, said ilexible support extending transversely of said hollow head member and being secured to said hollow head memberropposite to the apertures in said head member, and stops adjacent said apertures for limiting movement of said movable member, a free member and a magnet carried within said free member and having unlike poles whereby when like poles of the free member yand said movable eye member are brought opposite one another said movable eye member will be repelled and whenl unlike' poles are brought opposite one another said movable eye member will be attracted when said members approach each other, said ilexible support extendingl within said head member from said body member extending transversely of the ilexible support for said movable eye member.

5. An animated ligure having a hollow head member, said head member having aportion provided withapertures representing eyes, a' movable eye member having eye elements portrayed thereon within the hollow head member'with the eye members in registry with the apertures, said movable eye member having a magnet supported thereon and extending lengthwise thereof andhaving unlike poles, a flexible supportior said movable eye member, said ilexible support extending transversely of said hollowhead member and being secured to Vsaid'hollow head member opposite to the apertures insaid head member, and stops adjacent said apertures for limiting movement of said movable member, a free member and a magnet carried Within said free member and having unlike poles whereby when like poles of the free member and said movable eye member are brought opposite one another said movable eye member Will be repelled and when unlike poles are brought opposite one another said movable eye member will be attracted when said members approach each other.

6. An animated iigure having a hollow head portion provided with apertures representing eyes, a movable member having eye elements portrayed thereon mounted within said head portion with the eye elements supported in registry with said apertures, a flexible support upon which said movable member is mounted, one end of said iiexible support being secured to said movable member and the other end of said flexible support beine,r connected to a point within said head portion, said movable member having a magnet supported thereon and having unlike poles, a free member and a magnet carried by said free member and having unlike poles Whereby when like poles of the members are brought opposite one another said movable member will be repelled and when unlike poles are brought opposite one another said movable member will be attracted when said members approach each other, said ileXible support permitting movement of said eye member in any direction about the point of attachment of said flexible support to said hollow head portion.

LLOYD E. HARDING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

